Notas del episodio
Robert Gould (VP US Operations, IAM Properties) and Chris Speciale (National Leasing Advisor, Open Realty Advisors) join Brett to pull back the curtain on the decade-long journey behind the Corners of Brookfield, Wisconsin's number one destination for specialty retail.
Robert brought his vision for a European-style market square to suburban Milwaukee after a successful run funding nine Mariano's grocery stores across Chicagoland, opening in 2018 with just eight storefronts and Von Maur as their anchor. Chris, a 30-plus year leasing veteran, was the matchmaker behind the brands, pitching Brookfield, Wisconsin to national retailers who couldn't place it on a map, drawing on comparable ground-up markets like Columbus, Ohio and Fort Wayne, Indiana to make the case that Milwaukee's time had come.
Hear how they navigated a $25 million movie theater mistake, survived COVID without closing, and built landlord-tenant relationships that have brands like Alo, Madewell, and Kendra Scott choosing the Corners as their Milwaukee home.
We also discuss the $150 million West End expansion bringing new retail, a national restaurant, a freestanding hard goods anchor, and 278 additional apartments to the project, and why Robert and Chris believe the Corners is just getting started.